


Helpless

by MerMagicAnaLily



Series: Acceptance [1]
Category: Andi Mack (TV)
Genre: F/F, F/M, Gay TJ, Homelessness, Homophobia, LGBT, Lesbian Amber, M/M, Trans Marty, kicked out
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-13
Updated: 2019-09-13
Packaged: 2020-10-17 23:09:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20629070
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MerMagicAnaLily/pseuds/MerMagicAnaLily
Summary: Three kids sneak into a middle school. Are they vandals? Are they scared? Well one thing’s for sure, they need a big hug.





	Helpless

**Author's Note:**

> TW Homophobia  
TW Kicked out  
TW Conversion Therapy Mention

“Are you trying to get caught?”

“Shut up and just help me!”

“Dude, you suck at this.”

“Got it!” T.J. pushed open the window to the first floor English room and slid in, helping Marty in before they both helped Amber, then he closed the window and locked it again, and they dropped their bags on the floor. “Alright...I’ll stay out here and you two can use the showers. And then we’ll trade.”

“You’re sure you don’t want to go first? We always go first,” Amber said. 

“It’s fine. Go ahead.” His phone buzzed and he pulled it out and smiled. 

“Come on Amber, T.J. clearly wants to flirt with his  _ boyfriend, _ ” Marty teased slightly and pulled her away towards the locker rooms. T.J. sat down against the wall outside of the locker rooms and started typing. 

-Hey Underdog, what are you up to?-

-Just finishing up hw then gonna shower. U?-

-Finished my homework at the library. Just waiting for Amber to be done before I can shower.-

-that’s hot-

-that’s perverted :p - 

-that’s a perk I can tease about with my boyfriend, Thelonious.-

T.J. laughed a little and looked around. The halls of the middle school were empty and the slightest sound echoed loudly, but he didn’t have another choice but to be there at 9pm. None of them did. 

* * *

_ “Amber...I’m scared...you’ve heard what dad says about gays,” T.J. said, sitting on her bed.  _

_ “Me too...but what can we do? We were caught in a triple date, and we were way too cuddly to be able to say that we had opposite dates,” she said.  _

_ “What about Marty?” T.J. asked. “We sneak him into my room at midnight and sneak him out at 6 so that he doesn’t get caught sleeping here, and he goes to the extra early classes at school so he can shower in the locker rooms. Where is he gonna sleep?” _

_ “Amber! T.J.!” Their father’s booming voice came from downstairs. They both froze and grabbed each other’s hand, trying to steady themselves. Now or never. _

* * *

“Hey Jag,” Amber came out with a beach towel wrapped around her head, it was what she had. “Your turn. The shampoo is in the side pocket of the black duffel.”

“Thanks Amber,” he sighed and got up, checking the time. 9:34 p.m. “Think we should set up in the music room again?”

“It’s the best room to sleep in...only carpeted one,” she said. “Did you ever think we’d have to do this?” 

He shook his head as he got the bag. “Nobody ever thinks that this is how it turns out.” He opened the door to the locker rooms and went in.

Amber sighed and sat outside when Marty joined her later, towel drying his own hair and wearing a loose shirt and old basketball shorts. “Well, today officially marks two weeks of us doing this,” he said. “We’re probably breaking about half a million laws.”

“And yet our asshole families aren’t breaking any?” She said.

“Nope. They have rights, we don’t,” he said, leaning his head back. “You still have the key to the bus station locker?” 

She nodded and held up the wrist with the key. “We’ll change out our bags in two days. We won’t have school then.”

“You won’t,” Marty said. “T.J. and I have basketball.”

“You’re right. I mean...if you’re okay with me going through your stuff…”

“Yeah, totally,” he said. “I don’t exactly have the same secret from you than from everyone else…”

* * *

_ One week before T.J. and Amber had to worry about their dad, T.J. saw Marty opening up his gym locker and several T-shirt’s fall out of the stuffed locker. He panicked and shoved it back before closing it and sitting on the bench, putting his head in his hands. T.J. looked around, confirming that they were alone in the locker room before he sat down next to him.  _

_ “Hey man...you okay?” _

_ “Can...can I be honest with you?” He asked. “I mean, I know you’re dating Cyrus, but he can’t know, because if he knows, then Buffy will know, and I didn’t want anyone to know...especially those guys….you know how intense they can get.” _

_ “If you don’t want me to tell them, I won’t but you gotta tell me what’s going on.” _

_ Marty sighed and blinked back tears. “My parents had enough of me...they kicked me out.” _

_ “What?! Why would they do that? That’s awful!” _

_ “Because they want their daughter back...they never asked for a son….” _

_ It took a good second before it clicked. “Marty...are you…?” _

_ “Trans? Yeah...I am,” he said. “You’re officially the first person to know…” _

_ “Wait...I’m the only one?” _

_ “Only one,” he said. “I paid some hacker online to change all my school documents from my dead name to Martin before middle school started. My parents wouldn’t do it, and they misgendered me and dead named me constantly at home...but here, it’s nice not having people know. But now...T.J. I don’t want to go into a group home...LGBT group homes are hard to do, and I’d have to leave school, and I’d probably be in a girl’s home because this state is so far fucking behind…” _

_ “Hey, Marty, it’s okay,” he said. “I can try to help. I just...can I tell one person? Only one, and it’s my sister…” _

_ “Amber?”  _

_ “Yeah...just her.” _

_ “Yeah...just her, you can tell just her,” he said. “You guys would help me?” _

_ “The best we could. She can hook you up with something to eat at The Spoon whenever you need it.” _

_ “T.J. you’re the best.” _

* * *

T.J. came out fifteen minutes later, wearing his glasses. “I’m gonna run out of contacts soon, so that’s awesome,” he sighed. “Ready to set up?”

“That’s why you shouldn’t have gone with dailies,” Amber replied, grabbing her things and Marty grabbing his and they all headed to the music room. 

“Even monthlies would have run out soon,” T.J. said. “Which is reason number ten thousand nine hundred and fifty six that this all sucks.”

“Wow...is any part of being homeless fun?” Marty quipped sarcastically. 

“Boys, boys, boys,” she sighed. “We’re gonna alert all of Shadyside that we’re here if you keep this up,” she said. 

“Let’s just go to sleep,” T.J. said. “I saw that they’re moving the floor cleaning to 5 a.m. so we should be out of here by four.”

“My shift is from 5am to 7:30 so breakfast is covered,” Amber said. 

“How is that your shift?”

“I picked up more hours so we have lunch money,” she said. 

“I mean, I did too,” T.J. said. “But not morning for two and a half hours.” 

“It’s a split 8 hour,” she said. “Two in the morning, the rest after school.”

“That’s your fourth 8 hour this week.”

“And I’ve got 12 hours lined up for the weekend.”

“Yeah, I’ve got weekend day camp lined up,” T.J. said. 

“I don’t have a job,” Marty said. “I need to get one…”

“I’ll see what The Spoon has for you,” Amber promised. He nodded and they all unrolled their sleeping bags. 

“Well, here’s to another shitty end to a shitty day,” T.J. said. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

“Goodnight.”

* * *

_ T.J. dreamt of his first date with Cyrus. They decided to get out of Shadyside so it felt like they weren’t doing the same things as usual and went on a bus for a 30 minute drive all the way to Springfield so they could visit the Natural History Museum. T.J. was the one who picked it out.  _

_ “You brought me here?” _

_ “You like dinosaurs,” T.J. shrugged with a smile, taking Cyrus’s hand. “And they’re pretty cool in my opinion as well.”  _

_ “But...you want to go to the natural history museum? It isn’t boring for you?” _

_ T.J. shook his head. “I actually kinda like history. Plus, I love it when you ramble about the things you’re passionate about. It’s really cute and it makes me more interested in learning about it.” _

_ “It does?” _

_ “Yeah. Your passion makes me want to know more about it, so that I can get to know you better. You’re a pretty awesome part of my life, Muffin.” _

_ “And you’re a pretty big part of my life too...Thelonious Jagger,” he said with a smile.  _

_ “You’re lucky nobody we know is within earshot,” he teased lightly.  _

_ “Exactly why I called you by your name. I told you, I love that name.” _

_ “You’re the only one who says it in a way that makes me like it,” he said, putting his arm around Cyrus and smiling when he felt the Cyrus’s hand wrap around his waist, and they walked in. _

* * *

T.J. woke up to a flashlight in the face and he looked up in panic. Amber and Marty were also awake and looking at each other. The flashlight was being held by a school security officer and next to him was Dr. Metcalf. “I think I need to see you three in my office. Something tells me there’ll be a good explanation for this.” He looked at the security guard and told him to lower the flashlight. “Is ten minutes enough for you guys to get dressed in day clothes?” They nodded and he nodded back. “Ten minutes then. My office.”

He left and they all scrambled. 

“Fuck….fuck fuck fuck…” T.J. was panicking as he changed and then he and Amber held up an unzipped sleeping bag so Marty could have some privacy while he changed his binder and then put it down while they kept getting changed, their backs to each other. 

“He’s gonna call the cops,” Marty said, looking paler than usual. “He’s gonna call the cops, and we’re going to be sent to foster cares or group homes...we’re screwed.”

“Okay, we cannot panic,” Amber said, trying to keep cool. “T.J., you told me Metcalf is chill, right?”

“Not chill,” he said. “But…reasonable…”

“Then he’s going to listen to us...he’ll be understanding.”

They finished up and made their way to the principal's office, where he was already behind his desk and gestured to the chairs in front of him. “Mr. Sousa, Mr. Kippen, Miss Kippen,” he greeted sternly. “I haven’t called the cops yet,” he said, looking at relief wash over all of their faces. “Because I suspect that you guys will have a really good reason. Most kids don’t choose to sleep over at their middle school.”

They looked at each other and then T.J. took a deep breath to start telling the story. 

* * *

_ T.J. and Amber made their way downstairs, still holding each other’s hands. They could feel their hearts beating in their throats, and T.J. felt like he was about four seconds away from throwing up. They were having a really good date; him and Cyrus, Amber and Andi, and Buffy and Marty, all sitting at The Spoon and laughing, holding hands, leaning on each other, stealing the occasional kiss.  _

_ It was perfect, until Amber locked eyes with someone at the door and froze, and T.J. looked around and he froze. Their father stood there, holding a bag of takeout, and watching his children and their dates. Both immediately let go of their dates’ hands and leaned away from them slightly and then their father walked out of the door. “We gotta head home,” T.J. said. “Mom and dad don’t want us to be out too late.” _

_ Amber nodded. Go home now, try to explain, try to beg for forgiveness. “You sure you gotta go?” Cyrus whined.  _

_ “Don’t worry, you’ll see me tomorrow,” T.J. said, and kissed him on the forehead. “We’ll text later.” _

_ “Alright...bye guys!” The group waved and T.J. and amber walked out the door with smiles plastered on their faces, smiles that vanished the instant they were out of sight of The Spoon.  _

_ Now they stood in front of their father who was sitting at the dinner table. He was looking at his computer for a long time before he looked up at his kids. Their mom was in the kitchen, not making any eye contact with them, but T.J. could tell her eyes were puffy from crying.  _

_ “You have no idea how...ashamed...disgusted...betrayed I am by the two of you,” he said, his voice rising in intensity. “You two indulging in...perversion!” They both winced.  _

_ “Dad, please, if you-“ _

_ “You two were out there...indulging in…it was absolutely disgusting! You and that boy, you and that girl! And don’t even think you can say that you were dating the opposite person because I saw you...I saw you kissing! What am I supposed to think of that?! What about our church?!” _

_ Amber was shaking, holding back tears and T.J. squeezed her hand.  _

_ “Dad…” _

_ “I’ve made my decision with the two of you. I’m giving you a choice.” Amber and T.J. exchanged glances again, worried, then they felt their hearts drop to their stomachs when they saw their dad turn the screen around.  _

_ “Straight and Narrow Reparative Therap-dad...you’re sending us to conversion therapy?” Amber’s voice broke.  _

_ “Conversion therapy...it’s considered psychological abuse!” T.J. said, his voice desperate. “Kids who come out of there are more depressed, most of them commit suicide dad! The Goodmans wrote papers on it-“ _

_ “Goodmans like the parents of the faggot kid you had your arms around?” He asked coldly and T.J. clammed up. “You think I’m going to listen to them and these...sensitive snowflakes going around saying that because something is uncomfortable it isn’t good for you?! You think they know more than me?!” _

_ “Dad! Please!” _

_ “Your choice is this,” he said. “You sign up and you’re going for the five month program in Nevada, or you take whatever you can carry and walk out that door. Go to your rooms now. You have one hour to decide.” He left the screen open and walked away to comfort their crying mother, ashamed of raising two failures in the eyes of God.  _

_ T.J. and Amber went back upstairs and the first thing they did was hug, crying into each other’s shoulders. Conversion therapy or homelessness. “We...we can’t tell anyone...they’ll get involved...they might send us here…or worse…” he said. “They’ll send us to foster homes or group homes…” _

_ “They’ll send us away from Shadyside…” Amber said.  _

_ “They might even separate us,” he agreed. “But...dad’s “choice,” the one he gave us...I think I know what the obvious answer is…” _

_ “Me too,” she looked up and wiped his tears. “Good thing you’ll have your big sister with you.” _

_ “And you’ll have your strong brother,” he sniffed. They spent that hour packing as much as they could in as many bags and backpacks they could carry, and they didn’t make eye contact with their parents when they walked out the door, but both of them flinched and let a few tears slip when they heard it slam behind them.  _

* * *

Dr. Metcalf listened to the story with his lips in a thin line. First Marty was kicked out and then the Kippens, all for expressing who they were. “Please go to the cafeteria and wait until I send someone to call you back in here,” he said. “They’re starting to serve breakfast so please go serve yourselves. Don’t worry about swiping your student IDs.” 

They nodded and slowly got up, heading outside. “He’s gonna call CPS,” Marty said, losing hope in his voice. “They’re going to take us away…”

“We might get separated…” Amber said. T.J. took both of their hands and they walked. In the time that Marty had been sneaking into their house and then later, living with them as they hung out at The Spoon, the Kiddie Gym, or the Library every minute they could until they could sneak into the school to shower and sleep, Marty had become like their brother. 

They ate their breakfast in silence, forcing themselves to swallow the food, but it felt like it would come back up at any moment. Eventually, they just put their hand hands in the middle and just stayed there quietly. They had no idea if they needed to pray or cry or just sit there trying to keep each other up. Eventually, the secretary Mrs. Kaplan came over and called them back into the principal's office. 

Outside the door, they took a deep breath and Amber took the hands of both of her boys, looking up at them. “If we have to...we run. We’ll be running away from here...but we run together,” she said. They both nodded and took a deep breath before opening the door. 

* * *

The first thing T.J. felt was two arms come attack him, wrapping themselves around him tightly. He didn't have enough time to register the face, but the height was familiar, the scent was familiar, and so was the intensity, so after a second, he wrapped his own arms around his boyfriend and tucked his face in his neck, breathing in Cyrus. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He whispered. 

“I...I don’t know...I was scared...I panicked...I...I don’t want to go to foster care…” he was struggling to keep tears away, and just hugged Cyrus even tighter. He took a quick glance to see that Amber was hugging Andi and Marty was quietly sobbing into Buffy’s shoulder, and she rubbed his back, crying a little herself. T.J. took another quick look to see Jonah in the corner, talking to all sets of parents; the Driscolls, the Macks, and all four Goodmans. “Cy...what’s happening?” 

“Dr. Metcalf called us...woke my stepmom up even,” he said. “He then told us everything...I knew your parents didn’t know...but I didn’t know it was like that...that they could be so...so horrible!” He said. “Who gives their kids the choice of conversion therapy or homelessness?!”

“My dad...apparently…”

“He’s despicable,” Cyrus said decidedly. After another minute, Dr. Metcalf asked everyone to come back to him and had T.J., Amber, and Marty sit in the chairs in front of him, the Good Hair Crew sit on the couch behind them, and all the parents stand around the room with Bex and Bowie standing behind him. 

“So...we all talked in here, and we came to a decision,” Dr. Metcalf said. “We will call CPS, but only to transfer guardianship of you three to Bex and Bowie, and by extension, Cecilia Mack.” They snapped up and saw Bex and Bowie smiling at them. 

“Wait...what?” T.J. looked around and they nodded. 

“Well,” Bex said. “Since Andi is going to a boarding school in a few months, we’ll have extra rooms at our apartment, so we can give you guys a home...of course Andi and Amber might alternate and have a few “extended sleepovers” at the Driscolls and Goodmans…” everyone laughed a little. 

“While the rest of us,” Cyrus’s mother said. “We’re all pooling in our funds into a bank account for you three that you’ll be able to access yourselves when Amber turns 18. We can only put money in, so not a cent will come out unless all three of you agree to it in case of an emergency, and we’ll be putting in money for college. Your health insurance, school fees, clothes, everything will be covered by us in the meantime.”

“And we’re also referring and paying for you to see some specialist friends of ours,” his dad said. “I’ve got a few friends who specialize in LGBT teen therapy, and we can let you go to the same one or different ones, up to you. And I know a psychiatrist who also specializes in transitioning therapy, so Marty, if you want to go to him for hormone replacement therapy, and talk about your medical options in transitioning, just say the word and I’ll set up meetings.”

“You…” T.J. and Amber were shocked. “You’re helping us? Just like that?” 

“Of course we are,” Bowie said. “We love you guys.” 

“You do?” Amber said and she looked at T.J. and squeezed his hand. The only people they had real unconditional love from before was each other, now they had this whole group of different people and their families just ready to help at a drop of a hat.”

“I don’t know what to say…we don’t know what to say…”

“Well, say yes to us?” Bex said. “To our help?”

They looked at each other and laughed happily with tears. “How could we think about saying no?” Marty asked. 

“Well…” Dr. Metcalf said. “I think this warrants an a special excused absence scenario from all of you. Pick up whatever you have here…”

“And the bus station locker,” Amber said. 

“And the bus station locker, settle in where you need to be, and take a breath. I’ll email you all your homework.” 

Cyrus came back up and hugged T.J. “I really have the best boyfriend in the world,” T.J. said.

“You’re not too bad yourself,” Cyrus said with a laugh, and kissed his cheek. “Come on, you need to go somewhere with a proper hot shower!”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading this! I hope you guys enjoy the pain I put my children into! Please comment if you read this so I know people actually read this.


End file.
